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My year of full time ministry in Bellingham

Monthly Archives: October 2014

My transition from sunny Malibu to cloudy Bellingham has been a smooth one thus far. Although the sun and surf at Pepperdine will always hold a special place in my heart, I am loving the different kind of beauty that the Northwest offers.

Right now I’m sitting in Woods Coffee, a coffee shop found along the water in the middle of a park. Although it’s misting outside, the sun is still shining through the clouds, basking the whole park in a soft glow. The people around me are classic Bellingham-ers: dressed in multiple layers, friendly, a little eccentric, and obsessed with coffee. In my short month here, I’ve so far learned that nearly every resident of Bellingham loves both a good coffee shop and a good brewery. Since I know very little of the complexities of both coffee and beer, I have been quickly trying to catch up to my peers by frantically googling “IPA beer for dummies” and “What actually IS a latte??” when no one is looking. I still have a lot to learn…

Interning at The INN has been an amazing experience so far! I have been learning a ton about both myself and the incredible planning and effort that goes into full time ministry. From 7 AM bible studies to donut Mondays to meeting SO MANY new students, my days have been very full and very fulfilling. I have discovered so many strengths and weaknesses in myself that I had never been able to see while in school. For example, while building the famous Marquee letters from scratch, I have learned that I can actually be pretty crafty… and perfectionistic…

I built those! ^ With my own two hands!

The INN has been off to a great start this year; we have been able to connect with both new and returning students through different activities and our weekly worship on Tuesday nights. We spent the weekend before classes began at Firwood Camp for a training retreat for our small group leaders. This time was spent preparing our student leaders for different issues that can arise while leading a small group. We also read through the entire book of Mark (Which surprisingly only took about 90 minutes!). The year continued as students began making their way back to campus and we were able to meet tons of new students at Red Square Fair, (which is similar to Waves Expo for my Pepperdine readers). Now that school is in full swing, we have had a few events to help students connect, including men’s paintball and a women’s sunrise hike.

(^That’s Spikeball, super fun lawn game!)

In the next month, we will be having our fall retreat (November 7-9), and Collide (an all day women’s worship event on October 25). Small groups will also continue meeting weekly, (my small group is so great! Seriously, my girls are so amazing and I am so excited to spend this year with them!), and we will be having worship every Tuesday night. We would appreciate prayers for these events and our ministry as a whole as we get further into the fall quarter.